Bass, Berry & Sims has a welcoming, respectful and collaborative culture that fosters success in our lateral attorneys. Much of our firm’s leadership joined us through our lateral recruiting program, including our current managing partner, members of our executive committee and practice group chairs. Our experienced talent team professionals strive to make your recruitment process and transition to the firm as smooth as possible. As you move through the interview process you will meet with a cross-section of attorneys, firm and practice group leaders, and key business professionals from diverse backgrounds. We focus on providing you with insightful information regarding our practice, firm culture and our role in the broader communities we serve. We provide best in the industry integration and development to our lateral attorneys of all levels to ensure your seamless integration into your specific practice group as well as other areas within the firm.

To view and apply for open positions, please click here to submit your application.

In accordance with the NALSC Code of Ethics, candidates shall be referred only with prior authorization of Bass, Berry & Sims. Posting of positions on this website or other third party sites does not authorize search firms or other third parties to directly solicit candidates on the firm’s behalf. We will not accept submissions from search firms with which we do not have an established contract. Once contracted, our Attorney Talent Management team will provide the search firm with a login and specific instructions for our recruiting portal, ViDesktop. Please contact our Attorney Talent Management team at attorneyrecruiting@bassberry.com for contract inquiries and more information on our process for search firms.

We prefer excellent academic achievement in law school and prior legal experience. With respect to judicial clerks, please note that we do not accept judicial clerk resumes from search firms and will not pay a fee for judicial clerk submissions. For information about our law student and judicial clerk hiring, please click here.

Our experienced attorneys meaningfully contribute to every practice area, team and industry group within the firm, with many of our key leadership positions being held by former lateral attorneys.

Our firm’s Core Competencies are the foundation of the professional development program. These competencies identify the material skills and abilities that all our attorneys need in order to achieve long-term sustainable success. We use these competencies as a platform from which to promote the development of attorneys, ensure superior client service, and sustain the firm’s culture of excellence. We draw on these competencies to form a framework for recruiting and evaluating attorneys, for developing and planning training programs, and for facilitating each attorney’s ability to seek out the experiences necessary to fully develop in his/her area of practice.

Upon joining the firm, first year associates and lateral associates are guided through an orientation and integration program that is customized to their experience level and interests. New attorneys at the firm join one of our practice groups and receive support, direction and assignments from group leadership.

Associates are paired with more experienced associates and supervising members to help them navigate opportunities and achieve their potential. Supervising members play a key role in development, meeting with associates quarterly to provide coaching and performance feedback. At the end of the year, the supervising members summarize the feedback and review it with each associate, setting the agenda for the next year’s growth.

In addition to on-the-job training, the firm hosts various annual learning opportunities adapted specifically to associates, including the following:

  • An eight-week substantive training program for junior associates.
  • An immersive, two-day program aimed at helping our mid-level associates better appreciate the intersection of law and business. Learn more about the program here.
  • An interactive client service academy for senior associates.

Associates are also invited to join client-facing webinars and have access to high-quality research tools and external continuing legal education opportunities.

We are proud of our track-record for advancing associates and helping them meet their career goals. We invite attorneys to become members of our firm based on a number of factors, including development of our core competencies, substantive legal skills, professional skills and client service.

We continue supporting attorneys with a similar suite of professional development efforts throughout their careers. For example, we host a two-year program for new members to provide in-depth knowledge and skills about firm management and legal industry development so they can best help further the mission of the firm and to become productive firm leaders. Members also have access to individual coaching, leadership development programs and advanced professional skills trainings.